Susanna's Christmas Wish Read Free Page B

sound wasn’t registering. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Memories of Matthew’s face as she had seen it last. Pain etched across his handsome features as he told her that he had to leave. Matthew—the man she had once loved. Matthew back at his brother’s place.
    How could this be? What reason would Matthew have for coming—even if it was Thanksgiving? Matthew was still in the bann . Why had Mary even let him in her house? “Why he is here?” Susanna asked.
    Mary stopped tugging on her arm. “I don’t know. He didn’t say for sure—other than he’s visiting over Thanksgiving. And we can’t just throw Ernest’s brother out of the house.”
    Susanna’s thoughts stabbed through her. If she had married Matthew, Ernest’s brother, their children would have been double cousins. She and Mary and Matthew and Ernest would forever be part of the same family. Susanna pushed the thought away. “But Matthew’s in the bann! ”
    “I know that.” Mary was pulling on her arm again. “Ernest and I aren’t doing anything wrong. Matthew’s not helping us, and he eats on the couch. You know we’re not like some communities, Susanna, where they don’t even talk to their fallen family members.”
    Susanna swallowed hard. “I want to speak with him.”
    “Susanna, please,” Mary begged. “Not now. You’re not in any condition to speak with Matthew.”
    Obviously her sister knew her quite well. Was her pain really that plain? Her struggles with her marriage? Had Mary seen this while she and Herman had been dating? Well, if she had, Mary could have said something. Nee , she was not leaving now. Da Hah was going to give her grace, and she was going to get over her past. “I’m not running away, Mary. He’ll just come after me.”
    Mary looked pale, but she didn’t shake her head. So she also knew, as Susanna did, that if Matthew had the nerve to show up here, he would eventually have the nerve to stop in at her place. Better to deal with him here…and now.
    “Maybe you should,” Mary agreed, relenting. “But somehow we have to get him out of the house soon after that.”
    “He’s your husband’s brother,” Susanna said. “I guess there’s not much you can do about that.”
    Mary was silent, her hand still on her sister’s arm.
    “Where are Mose and Laura?”
    “Ernest took them with him. He was sharpening the blades on his plow this morning and had to run into town for supplies.”
    “Come then. Now is the time. Matthew will leave when he finds out I’m married. Then we can finish our day’s work. We’ve already wasted way too much time.”
    Susanna led the way. This was Mary’s house, but it seemed right that she was being the strong one right now. Later she could collapse and have a gut cry. Perhaps upstairs where Herman wouldn’t walk in and hear her. Once this meeting was over, Herman need never know about it.
    Inside the two women hesitated.
    “What should we do?” Mary whispered. “We could start working in the kitchen, I suppose, until he shows up.”
    As if in answer to Mary’s question, footsteps came down the stairs. Familiar footsteps, Susanna thought. How many times had she heard that light step in Mamm and Daett’s house over the years when Matthew brought her home on Sunday nights?
    Susanna gathered herself. Matthew had no right to be here, and she would need to be brave about this. For Mary’s sake, if nothing else. And for Herman—if he ever learned about this, which hopefully he wouldn’t.
    A man’s face, unshaven, appeared in the stair doorway. He leaned out, keeping his hands on the frame. A smile spread across his face. “I thought I heard something. So you couldn’t wait to see me, could you?”
    The insolence of the man! Susanna thought. How dare he? But her heart was pounding, and words refused to come out of her mouth.
    Matthew looked much the same. Maybe a little older but still just as handsome—especially with that stubble on his face.
    “Don’t